Ferrari debuts world’s fastest drop-top

FERRARI has lifted the lid on the world’s fastest production cabriolet, the 340km/h 812 GTS, just 24 hours after revealing another new drop-top, the F8 Spider.

Powered by the same normally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 as the 812 Superfast coupe that generates 588kW at 8500rpm and 718Nm at 7000rpm, the 812 GTS is the first fully fledged 12-cylinder open-air production Ferrari since the 365 GTS4 – dubbed the Daytona Spider after its win in the Daytona 24 Hour – that was launched 50 years ago.

It is also the only drop-top in the class to get a retractable hard-top, allowing greater boot space (210 litres) than cloth-top rivals.

Australian launch details and pricing are yet to be announced, but it is likely to be priced higher than the 812 Superfast that sells for $610,000 plus on-road costs.

The 812 GTS will ride into battle against Lamborghini’s 544kW/690Nm Aventador Roadster and McLaren’s 537kW/770Nm 720S Spider.

Like the 812 Superfast, the 812 GTS has its engine mounted in the front, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Despite a 75kg weight penalty due to strengthening of the chassis to make up for the loss of the roof structure, the GTS is said to be almost as fast as the coupe, slicing from zero to 100km/h in less than 3.0 seconds, while 200km/h comes up in just 8.3s. Top speed is 340km/h with the roof up – the same as that of the 812 Superfast.

The engine revs to an eye-watering 8900rpm, although 80 per cent of full power is available at 3500rpm.

Ferrari tuned the exhaust note for maximum aural pleasure with the roof down, while the sliding rear window acts as a wind break as part of a complex aero development to reduce turbulence in the cabin in open-air driving.

The roof, which opens and closes in 14 seconds at up to 45 km/h, does not impinge upon the interior dimensions, according to Ferrari.

The entire rear of the car was redesigned to accommodate the roof storage compartment and its tonneau cover. This necessitated the removal of the aerodynamic bypass duct at the rear wheel arch.

To make up for the drop in downforce delivered by this feature, the designers and engineers reworked the rear diffuser, giving it an extra flap.

The GTS sits on 20-inch wheels – 10 inches wide at the front and 11.5 inches as the rear.

Brakes have 398mm discs at the front and 360mm down the back.

Also new from the Ferrari stable is the V8-powered, mid-engined F8 Spider which replaces the 488 Spider in the Prancing Horse’s range.

Armed with a retractable hard top, the F8 Spider’s latest generation of Ferrari’s lauded turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 puts out 530kW of power at 8200rpm and 770Nm of torque at 3250rpm.